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She smirked at me, clearly knowing exactly where my mind was. “Surprise me. I shouldn’t be the only one to shape your culinary journey of America or Southern cooking. Go find a new place I’ve not even tried yet. I’m sure you know what I like by now.”

Oh damn. Like…Dayuummmas I’d heard other doctors in America say.

She was really laying down the gauntlet now.

I pretended to think about it and snapped my fingers. “Got it. I know exactly what you need.”

“I just bet you do, pup,” Dr. Carla Greer said under her breath at a level that most in the group wouldn’t have heard.

But Ellie and I did. So did Gerald from the scowl he was shooting me.

I apologized again for interrupting and headed out, stopping at the security desk. They seemed to be tapped in on everything at the hospital and beyond. I asked if they knew anything new that opened up that was getting good reviews.

One told me there was a new Middle Eastern place, but it was getting mixed reviews. From what he’d heard people were trying it that didn’t know what Middle Eastern food was and then called it weird—idiot feedback. But people who knew what to expect seemed thrilled.

Perfect.

I worked out hard and then went back out to pick up food, texting her when it would be ready at my condo… And the code. We were ready for that—or at least I was ready to let her have it and access to me as she wanted.

She responded to let me know she was starving and when she was even pulling in.

I acted like it was no big deal, but I was all over the place inside. There had been so much with my parents and being an idiot—I should have been nervous.

She walked in hesitantly, calling out to check where I was. She set her things down on the kitchen island while I was getting plates. The moment I set them down and looked at her, she was on me.

But not in the way I’d hoped.

Or not expected?

She’d hopped up on the counter, grabbed my head, and sank her fangs in my neck. I groaned and held onto her as she fed from me, my wolf howling happily inside of me. It felt amazing and a connection like… It was as intense as sex but different.

Really different but also not? Hopefully, it was like that because we were intimate and having sex. I couldn’t think vampires felt this always feeding.

She licked the bite closed and kissed my neck when she was done. We were both affected in different ways. I went to kiss her, but she had already turned away and slid off the counter.

She smirked at me as she grabbed one of the bags of takeout. “Thanks for dinner.”

I frowned and felt like I’d been kicked in the nuts. I moved faster than she would have expected and blocked her from leaving the kitchen. “Come on, I’ve never disrespected you. I’m not food.”

Her eyes instantly flashed regret as she met my gaze. “No, never. Sorry, I wanted to give you sass back after your display earlier. I didn’t mean—I would never—”

I leaned down to kiss her, giving her a chance to stop it. I could understand a joke or teasing going wrong. I even understood how vampires didn’t see feeding the same way other species did. It was needed for them and desensitized them from it. I’d heard that again and again.

Ellie met me the rest of the way and gave me a soft kiss that she picked up the heat for. I shivered when her tongue slid against my lips and I let her in. It snapped my patience and I lifted her up under her lush ass and put her back on the counter. I cupped her face and devoured her mouth the way she liked.

She pulled away after a few minutes. “Forgiven?”

“Is that the only reason you kissed me?” I checked, chuckling when she sighed. “I wasn’t the one who stepped in it, and I do a good job apologizing. Don’t you want the same for me?”

“Yes,” she hissed and gave me a quick peck. “No, I didn’t kiss you so I was forgiven. The thought interrupted my fun of the kiss, so I wanted to know.”

I hugged her and nuzzled her neck, taking a long sniff of her scent. “You’re staying for dinner, right? Not just feed and leave? I could forgive you then.”

“Deal.” She hugged me back. “I really was just trying to be sassy back. Clearly, that’s not my strong suit. I’ll leave it to you and just be…”

“Fabulous and sexy. You’re always fabulous and sexy,” I promised her. That seemed to do the trick.

It was so funny how she was sort of pouting that her attempt at being sassy failed when I was the one who got hurt from it. But at least the Middle Eastern place was legit. We both agreed that it was fabulous and definitely needed to get on the rotation of places we ate from.